BlackBerry Launches ‘Javelin’ Onto O2

The BlackBerry Bold and Storm may have been hogging all of the RIM limelight in recent months but a rather tasty – and more affordable – alternative just reared its head.

The BlackBerry ‘Curve 8900’ (or Javelin as it had been known during a heavily leaked development cycle) has essentially been known as a Bold-lite but it is actually a highly competent device in its own right.

Ok, the potential deal breaker off the bat then is the lack of 3G, but if you’re still reading at this point the 8900’s smaller 109 x 60 x 13.5mm dimensions, reduced 110g weight and stunning 2.4in 480 x 330 pixel display should have your attention right back with us. On top of this you’ll find a zippy 512MHz CPU, GPS, boosted 3.2MP snapper, Bluetooth 2.0, a microSD expansion slot supporting cards up to 16GB and WiFi.

A tidy bonus is that RIM finally seems to be getting its head around the consumer space with a 3.5mm headphone jack as standard – a welcome addition to any handset, especially one for which RIM offers iTunes synchronisation. A claimed 5.5 hours of talk time and up to 15 days on standby is also nothing to be sniffed at.

The BlackBerry Curve 8900 will be available from free on O2 this month and you could do a lot worse than ask Santa to pack one onto his sleigh for you.